By Stephanie Stevens

Every now and then you just have to call a spade a spade.

Columbia Valley Rockies head coach Tayler Sincennes was less than happy with his team after their lackluster performance last weekend.

The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) team was home at the Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena Saturday, Feb. 1 hosting the Creston Valley Thunder Cats; the only game of the weekend after road conditions saw the Jan. 31 away game in Beaver Valley postponed.

“I thought we were soft and took the easy way out,” said Sincennes of the 5-3 loss. “For the most part nobody put in the hard qualities that our team thrives on and it showed. There were too many guys playing at the end of their stick hoping for chances or hoping to get the puck instead of going and earning it. All in all it was a very disappointing showing at home on a Saturday night.”

While the local Junior A team can and has come from behind in previous games, the lack of goalie support and disconnected play took its toll.

The first period saw Carter Hensch (assist from Teo Fath) tie up the game one all, but the Cats added four more unanswered goals to their tally in the second. Two third period offerings, from Johnny Lozeman (unassisted) and Noah Asmundson (Jack Thorne and Hensch) hinted at a comeback but it was too little, too late.

Between the pipes Hunter Arntsen (pictured above) stopped 27 of 32 shots on goal.

The next games are away, first in Kimberley this Friday, Feb. 7 and then in Beaver Valley to make up the postponed game with the Nite Hawks, currently second from the top in the Neil Murdoch division.

The Rockies fell to third place in the Eddie Mountain Division after the Fernie Ghostriders edged past them with back-to-back wins last weekend.

The boys will be back in The Eddie Friday, Feb. 14. The Valentines Day game will feature a buy one, get one ticket half off special so fans can take their sweethearts on a hockey date.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m.

Stephanie Stevens photos

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